Hansard Search

12 March 1991 - Current

East Gippsland proposed seismic survey

Page 2794

09 August 2018

ASSEMBLY

Adjournment

TIM BULL

MrT.BULL (Gippsland East) (17:12:18) —
(14 791) I raise a matter for the attention of the Minister for
Agriculture in the other place. The action I seek is for her to write to the
National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority
(NOPSEMA) — that is a mouthful — over concerns being raised in
relation to the proposed seismic testing off the East Gippsland coast. There
are currently four surveys planned in south-east Australia, but one in
particular is causing great concern due to its size and its major overlap onto
critically important fishing grounds. The French company CGG intends to
undertake a 17 000-square kilometre survey in eastern Bass Strait in what
would be one of the largest surveys seen in the country. The area proposed for
survey is eight times the size of Port Phillip Bay. I am advised the company
has no authority to extract oil or gas in Australia but simply intends to
undertake the survey with the intention of onselling the results. No-one is
asking them to do this.

Recent research off Tasmania has shown that after four
seismic passes 20 per cent of scallops died and that after exposure to a
seismic survey crayfish lost the ability to extend their tails and right
themselves if turned upside down. Other research showed that a seismic survey
produced a 2-kilometre dead zone where two-thirds of zooplankton died. This
also raises concerns about the effects on fish eggs and larvae which float in
the water column. International research shows that, understandably, fish swim
away from large seismic soundwaves. Fishermen across the world report that
following a seismic survey marine habitats become unproductive and catch rates
drop for a year or longer. In certain cases seismic testing must occur of
course, but the scale of this proposal over vital fishing grounds when no-one
is asking for it to be done raises massive concerns.

The fishing industry is very concerned about CGG's plans,
which will impact on rural communities like Port Welshpool in the electorate of
Gippsland South and Lakes Entrance and Mallacoota in my electorate. Under this
proposal the industry is being asked to leave fishing grounds for five months
and then accept lowered catch rates for a year or more. I am advised that CGG
has completed a study into the financial effect this will have on the fishing
industry but refuses to release this information. The industry believes that
the cost could be in the vicinity of $10 million. Some fisheries, such as
the Danish seine fishery in Lakes Entrance, will have all of their fishing
grounds impacted by this.

The fishing industry in south-east Australia is proud of its
history of working in partnership with oil and gas companies — more than
10 surveys have been completed over the last 10 years — but this
one has the alarm bells ringing. I ask the minister to take this matter up with
NOPSEMA, as I intend to do myself.